Ron Paul Says He Won't Have Enough Delegates To Win GOP Nomination

Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul speaks in this February file photo during an event celebrating Filipino veterans at the Leatherneck Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Originally published on June 7, 2012 2:13 pm

Rep. Ron Paul, who is still technically in the hunt for the Republican presidential nomination, seems to have finally accepted his fate.

In an email sent to supporters late last night, the Texas congressman said by the time the Republican National Convention comes around, he won't have sufficient delegates to secure the nomination.

"When it is all said and done, we will likely have as many as 500 supporters as delegates on the Convention floor," Paul wrote, according to CNN. "That is just over 20 percent! And while this total is not enough to win the nomination, it puts us in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP!"

Paul added that there are many issues that his delegates at the convention can fight for and he urged them to support Justin Amash, Kurt Bills, and Thomas Massie.

"Amash, a Michigan congressman, endorsed Paul in the 2012 primaries. Bills is a Minnesota legislator who won the Republican Senate nomination in his state with the help of Paul-aligned activists. Massie's a Kentucky congressional candidate who won a competitive primary after earning the endorsement of Sen. Rand Paul.

"What happens next to Ron Paul and his base of support is anyone's guess, but the gesture toward those three down-ballot candidates is at least an early indication that he hopes to play some role in channeling libertarian activist energy going forward."

Paul also asked his supporters to remain "respectful" when advancing their causes. As we reported in May, Paul's supporters booed Romney's son off stage in Arizona and Paul and Romney supporters brawled in Oklahoma.